Knowledge visualization: A new framework for interactive graphic interface design

Diagrams communicate massive amounts of information at a glance. Complex domains can be simplified and extended with diagrammatic notations. Computational systems can certainly benefit from the use of diagrams. However, graphic interfaces are difficult and time consuming to write. We need a way of shortening the graphic-interface building cycle so that it is relatively easy and fast to add a graphic interface to any application that may benefit from it.A general-purpose, graphic-interface-building tool kit that a designer or user, not a programmer, can use to design and attach graphic interfaces to applications can greatly speed up and lower the costs of adding graphics to systems. In this paper, I describe a new framework for interactive graphic interface design. The framework will enable graphic-interface-building tools which are general purpose, inter-active, and application-specific.The framework consists of a taxonomy (ontology) of visual properties that span sub-object properties, full objects, and the relationships between objects. The taxonomy forms a skeleton on which to hang methods for manipulating these visual properties, objects, relations, and composites. The methods consist of the generation of prototypes, the recognition of properties in objects, and mouse manipulation functions for modifying properties in an object. Further characteristics of the framework are that the properties are composable, that objects can be explicitly, incrementally described through repeated composition and application of recognition methods, and that the composition of properties to form more fully described and more complex objects is recursive. This makes the framework and the objects within it quite flexible, incremental, uniform, and modular.